Brand new MBP scratch and chip after repair! What to do?

[shoegal]

I really need some advice on this issue! I hope you guys can help me out.

I bought a MBP while on a trip in the US two weeks ago. After a few days I went back to the genius bar because my HD was making weird sounds and freezing. It turned out my HD was defect so they gave me a replacement. Five days later, back home in Europe, I tried to play a disc. The optical drive had been making a lot of noise everytime my MBP powered on but i read that this could happen. But my optical drive rejected all my dvd's and even scratched some of them. I called Apple Care and took them to a certified repair center(we don't have official apple stores in my country!).
After a week the center called me that my MBP was DOA(dead on arrival) AGAIN and they wanted to replace it but couldnt because it was an American notebook. A repair could be done but it would take some time. I was very upset that my 2nd macbook was also DOA and about the whole replacement issue. They told me to contact Apple USA. Apple USA then told me i should contact Apple in my country. They were sending me back and forth!
I, then desperate, sent an email to Ron Johnson to explain my challenges(I heard he sometimes responds). Well he was amazing and immediately got me in touch with another executive who then arranged executive customer service from their headquarters in Ireland.

The executive customer agent did everything he could, and arranged a fast repair at my local Apple certified repair center. Today I picked my MBP up at the repair center with a new super drive, and I was so happy I got it back! But while still in the store I noticed a scratch on top of my unibody, WHICH WAS NOT THERE BEFORE! I checked my MBP, which was brand new only 5 days old, when I delivered it at the repair center. They gave me a contract before the repair which stated there were no scratches or other cosmetic blemishes. But when I pointed out the scratch, the guy at the store actually said: oh I find it very suspicious that you notice this immediately. So I said: You just saw me checking the MBP! Of course I notice this! Look at the contract, it was checked before and it wasnt there!
He then took my MBP to the back, and dissappeared for half an hour. In the mean time i sent an email to the executive customer service. The agent called the store to ask about the situation. While this was happening, I was standing in the store and they were all being extremely rude towards me.
After another half an hour the 'manager'appeared and told me he didn't think it was a scratch but that it was just part of the material. Note that his colleague did see the scratch but tried to blame it on me.
He then told me they couldn't do anything for me and that customer service would have to handle this. He said he'd take pictures and send it to the agent in Ireland.

Well, when I got home, upon closer examination, I noticed two other scratches and a chip from the front of the notebook. I carried it home in a protective case and a bag so i'm sure i didnt cause this. Also, when i powered my MBP on the 'replaced'optical drive made the same loud noise, and now my wifi connection doesn't work either. So my MBP won't connect to any internet or wifi.

Right now, I'm at a loss. What to do next?
I can't believe the store/repair center won't take responsibility and i dont know what Apple can do for me now.

Did any of you experience anything like this? Does anyone have any advice for me?

 

[jenzjen]

You're already in touch with the executive office, so why don't you wait for a reply from him? That's by far the best option.

Just take pictures of all the damage and send them to this person if you haven't already.

 

[Miss Terri]

I don't know if this is an option for you (I'm in the US), but years ago, I had my iBook worked on at a local Apple Reseller (no Apple stores near where I lived then), and when I got it back, the case around many of the fasteners was chipped, and some of them were kind of stripped out looking on the heads. There were cracks radiating out from some of them. It was as though they didn't have the right sized screwdriver, over-tightened, and just plain didn't care.

My iBook was pristine when I brought it to them and so I was extremely upset. It was so incompetent and callous!

I didn't even try going back there to make it right (even they were a 3-hour round trip, plus I was not letting them touch my computer again!), but called Apple directly immediately and explained.

They apologized and offered to send a box out right away for me to send my computer directly to Apple so they could take care of it. Which they did (it was two years old but under Apple Care).

I know you're not in the US, and so it's more complicated, but if there is any way to avoid that same place I would.(Their whole sense of service seems messed up, and even the manager sounds untrustworthy -- not like it was just one mistake or problem employee.)

I think if Apple asked me what I wanted I would ask for a new computer to be shipped to me from the US and I would like to ship the other one back to them. Maybe they won't do this but it's what I would ask (nicely) for. You bought a brand-new, premium computer. You've already been through two repairs of defective parts, and now this from a shop Apple endorses! You have already been as nice and understanding as possible.

One more possibility: Are you within your 14-day return window? Even if you had to pay to ship it to the US, it might be worth it to return it and start over.

I hope you'll let us know how it works out.

Miss Terri

 

[shoegal]

Thank you both for your reply.

So I'm just going to wait and see what executive relations can do. I also called Apple care and customer relations in my own country but they referred me back to executive care.

I can't believe they were so rude in that store. In the US I never ever had an experience like this in the Apple stores. The genius bar guys are, in my experience, so helpful and skilled and understanding. These guys were just hanging around in the store, chatting amongst themselves and looking cool in the middle of all the Apple products.

And it's an expensive notebook at 1200 dollars too! And then I payed an additional 250 for Apple care...So you'd expect them to be careful with my machine and you'd also expect the notebook to work!

Well, I'll let you know when I have news!

 

[shoegal]

Good news!

Executive relations is absolutely the best. They arranged all the communication with the reseller and this afternoon they called me and told me that I will receive a replacement next week.The reseller eventually ALSO offered a replacement but like you said, Miss Terri...no way I was going back there!

Executive even offered me an upgrade to the new MacBook pro. Wow, they already have a refresh? I kinda missed that this week. So I will have to look into it on their website.


I have to say, Apple does know good customer service. I wish their resellers did too!